Nine people charged over A4E fraud

The Crown Prosecution Service has reported that nine people are to be charged over allegations of fraud at welfare-to-work company Action 4 Employment (“A4E”).

The charges were brought after the nine A4E employees were accused by their employer of defrauding it of incentive payments relating to putting unemployed persons in work. Under their contracts of employment the nine employees would receive a financial bonus if they met a particular target relating to placing unemployed persons in employment. However, A4E’s suspicions of fraud on the part of the nine employees was raised when it was discovered that reward payments had been made that related to people who had either never attended A4E or to clients whom A4E had not successfully placed in employment. A4E conducted an internal investigation and then turned the matter over to the police to consider.

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police the following nine employees were charged with various offences under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, conspiracy to defraud contrary to the common law, and under the Fraud Act 2006:

Sue Patten, Head of Fraud at the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: “The nine individuals are charged with a total of 60 offences, including conspiracy to defraud, multiple counts of forgery, and making and possessing articles for use in fraud. This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.”

Chris Hadrill, a solicitor at Redmans, commented on the matter: “The charges that have been brought against the nine persons are extremely serious and could potentially lead to long prison sentences if the persons are found guilty. However, the matter must come to court first.”

The individuals will apparently appear before the Slough Magistrates’ Court on 14 October 2013.